Decoupling attachment.



In: 7l6,857. Patented Dec. 30, I902.

L. BOIVIN.

DECQUPLING ATTACHMENT.

(Application filed Apr. 12. 1902.)

(lo Nodal.)

Witnesses lalulifioa'i/a'n inventor,

Attorneys Tm: pours PETERS no mora-umq, WASHINGTON, u c.

' UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LOUIS BOIVIN, OF ST. SAUVEUR OF QUEBEC, CANADA.

DECOUPLING ATTACHMENT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 716,857, dated December30, 902- Application filed April 12, 1902. Serial No. 102,612. (Nomodel.)

To to whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LOUIS BOIVIN, a subject of the King of GreatBritain, residing at St. Sauveur of Quebec, Province of Quebec, Canada,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in DecouplingAttachments; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full,clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame.

Myinvention relates to a deviceintended for preventing accidents tomachinery to which power is applied by permitting the sameto be suddenlystopped automatically in case any obstacle catches in the machinerywhich tends to obstruct the operation of the same; and it is the objectof this invention to prevent breakage either of the machinery or of theobject which may be caught therein due to the continued application ofthe power by automatically disconnecting the power from the main shaftoperating the machine.

My invention is intended particularly for application to shoe-sewingmachinery, although it may equally well be applied to any kind ofmachinery which is apt to be stopped or broken by foreign obstaclescatching therein, especially in the case of gearing between whichobjects may be thrown and cause the gears to be stripped. 7

To these ends my invention consists, essentially, in a pin or bolt ofpeculiar shape connecting the main shaft of the machine with the partadapted to drive itsuch, for instance, as the hub of a pulley driven bya power-beltand this pin is formed to project into a seat in thecircumference of the shaft and has a driving-surface so arranged that anexcessive reaction of the shaft, caused by an overload or accident, willcause said pin to become suddenly disengaged therefrom, after which thepin will be so caught that it cannot be reengaged.

Another feature of my invention which I preferably though notnecessarily apply consists in the formation of the rear face of the pin,which is differently formed from the driving-face, so as to catchpositively in the shaft at all times and allow the same to be turnedbackwardly at any time, so that the machine may be readily disengagedfrom the obstacle caught therein no matter what power may be required todo so..

Another feature of myinvention consists in the means of adjustment Ihave provided for the inwardly-directed tension on the head of the pinwhich holds the latterin driving connection with the shaft, this tensionbeing very nicely adjustable by my arrangement, so as to provide for theexact force which is necessary to disengage the shaft from the pin.

My invention further consists in the improved construction andcombination of parts hereinafter to be described, and more particularlypointed out in the claims.

I have illustrated one form of my invention in the accompanyingdrawings, wherein-- Figure 1 is a side elevation, partly in section, ofa driving-pulley mounted on a main shaft and connected thereto by theattachment constituting my invention. Fig. 2 is a similar view to Fig.1, but showing the shaft automatically disconnected therefrom. Fig. 3 isa detail perspective view of the connecting-pin, and Fig. 4 is a similarview of the latch.

The same numerals of reference denote like parts in all the figures ofthe drawings.

The main shaft of the, machine is represented by the numeral 5, and onit is mounted a driving-pulley 6, which is driven by a main belt 7 inthe direction indicated by the arrow. The driving-pulley 6 has ahub-sleeve 8, which turns easily on the shaft 5, and the sleeve, asshown, is operatively connected to the shaft by the pin' 9, whichconstitutes the most essential part of my invention. This pin isarranged to reciprocate in a radial aperture 10 in the hub-sleeve 8,this aperture being preferably square to correspond with the form of theshank 11 of the pin, as shown in Fig. 3, thus preventing the pin fromturning in its socket, although of course any other means, such as asliding feather, might be equally well employed, as'will be wellunderstood. The pin 9 is provided at its outer end with a head 12, onwhich presses the free end of an arcuate plate-spring 13, which, asherein shown, partially surrounds the hub-sleeve 8 and is securedthereto at its other end by a screw 14, while at an intermediate pointit is engaged by the head of a set-screw 15, mount- KOO ed in thethreaded socket 16, and by this screw the tension on the head of thebolt or pin 9 may be very nicely adjusted.

The lower end of the connecting-pin 9 is of peculiar shape, as indicatedin Figs. 1 and 2, its forward or driving face (shown on the right) beingbeveled or chamfered at an angle slightly greater than a right angle,with the tangent to the shaft, as shown at 17, so that the reaction ofthe shaft 5 against the face 17 of the pin will cause a slight resultantradial pressure against the pin in addition to the main pressure, whichis tangential. The precise angle of the beveled face 17 depends on theamount of power which is required to be transmitted to the shaft, thefriction of the two surfaces, and the tension of the spring 13, the lastof which elements can, as hereinbefore mentioned, be nicely regulated bythe setscrew 15. The rear face 18 of the pin 17 is formed with avertical jog or notch, so that in turning the pulley 6 backwardly thereis no reaction of the shaft tending to thrust the pin outwardly. The endof the pin thus formed fits into a correspondingly-formed recess orsocket 19 in the side of the shaft, and this is preferably provided witha block 20, of hardened steel, which forms a lining-face for theconnecting-pin and prevents the sides of the socket 19 from becomingbruised or worn.

The shank of the pin 9 is furthermore provided in one side thereof at anintermediate point with a notch 21, which is so located that it shall beprecisely opposite the outer face of the hub-sleeve 8 when the end ofthe pin rests upon the face of the shaft, as shown in Fig. 2, andcoacting with this notch I provide a latch-piece 21, which is providedwith a beveled end 22, adapted to extend into the notch, and isyieldably pressed against the side of the pin by the spring 23, whichabuts against a bracket 24:, fixed on the side of the hub-sleeve. Boththe bracket 24 and the latch 21 are provided .with pins 25, whichproject through the coil of the spring 23 and hold the same in itsplace, while the latch 21 is provided, as shown, with a slot 26, throughwhich projects a screw 27, so as to permit the latch to slidelongitudinally and to be guided by said screw.

In the operation of the machine the tension of the spring 13 will be soregulated as to keep the pin 9 in driving connection with the shaft 5under all ordinary circumstances and to supply sufficient power theretoto perform the customary operations; but in case any eX cessive powercomes upon the shaft, such as might be caused by an accident or byoverstraining the machine, the reaction of the shaft 5 will be so greatas to throw the pin 9 out of connection with the socket 19, as shown inFig. 2, and the pulley 6 will now rotate loosely upon the shaft, beingno longer keyed thereto. Meanwhile as soon as the pin 9 is thrown out ofthe socket 19 the latch 21" will be caused to drop into the notch 21, sothat the pin 9 is prevented from returning into the socket 19 when thepulley has made a complete revolution and comes opposite the socketagain. The pulley will therefore continue turning loosely on the shaftwithout engaging therewith until the obstacle has been removed and it isdesired to reengage the pulley with the shaft, which may be done readilyby withdrawing the latch 21 from the notch 21 and turning the pulleyuntil the pin 9 drops into the socket 19 again.

In case the obstacle becomes caught in the machine and it is necessaryto turn it back wardly in order to extract it, this may be done byreengaging the pin 9 with the socket 19, as beforesaid, and drawingbackwardly on the pulley 6, the belt 7 having been previouslydisconnected. The vertical face 18 of the pin will now enable the shaft5 to be turned backwardly without danger of the pin 9 being thrown out.

WhileI have above described my invention in a particular form, it willbe understood,of course, that many other forms might be substituted, andespecially I desire to say that it is not by any means necessary thatthe two connected parts should be in the form of a shaft and asurrounding sleeve, but they might be in the form of two abuttingshafts, one of which carries the pin, or of many other forms, such aswill readily occur to a skilled mechanic, and are embraced in the scopeof the following claims.

Having thus described my invention,what I claim as new',and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A decoupling device comprising a driving part, a driven part adjacentthereto, a pin slidably mounted in one of said parts and having anoblique driving-face adapted to project into an oblique socket in theopposite part, means yieldably pressing said pin into operativerelation, and a latch adapted to secure andhold said pin when itis'pressed out of operative relation.

2. A decoupling device comprising a driving part, a driven part adjacentthereto, a pin slidably mounted in one of said parts and having anoblique driving-face adapted to project into an oblique socket in theopposite part, means yieldably pressing said pin into operativerelation, and a spring-pressed latch adapted to catch and hold said pinwhen it is thrust out of operative relation.

3. A decoupling device comprising a shaft having a socket, a sleevesurrounding the same, a pin radially slidable in said sleeve, having anend beveled on one side and radial on the other and adapted to projectinto the socket in said shaft, and a spring yieldably pressing upon thehead of said pin.

1. A decoupling device comprising a shaft having a socket, a sleevesurrounding the same, a pin radially slidable in said sleeve and havinga beveled end adapted to project into the socket in said shaft, a springyieldably pressing upon the head of said pin, means for adjusting thetension of said spring,

and a latch adapted to catch and hold said pin in retracted position.

5. A decoupling device comprising a shaft having a socket, a sleevemounted to turn loosely thereon, a connecting-pin mounted to slide insaid sleeve and havinga beveled face adapted to fit in the socket insaid shaft, a spring fixed to said sleeve and adapted to press upon thehead of said pin, and a setscrew mounted to press upon said spring at anintermediate point.

6. A decoupling device comprising a shaft having a socket,a sleevemounted to turn loosely thereon, a connecting-pin mounted to slide insaid sleeve and having a beveled face adapted to fit in the socket insaid shaft, a spring fixed to said sleeve and adapted to press upon thehead of said pin, a set-screw mounted to press upon said spring at anintermediate point, and a spring-pressed latch adapted to project into asuitable notch in said pin and hold it in retracted position.

'7. A decoupling device comprising a shaft having a recess in the sidethereof, a socketed block of hardened metal mounted in said recess, thesocket thereof having an oblique face, a sleeve loosely mounted on saidshaft, a pin mounted to slide vertically therein and having an obliqueend adapted to fit in said socket, and means yieldably pressing said pininto connection with the shaft.

8. A decoupling attachment comprising a shaft having a socket, a sleevemounted to turn thereon, a pin mounted to reciprocate radially in saidsleeve and having an inwardlyprojecting end with an oblique forward faceand a rear radial face adapted to be engaged with corresponding facesformed in the socket in said shaft, a spring pressing upon the head ofthe pin, and means for adjusting the tension of the spring.

9. A decoupling attachment comprising a shaft having a socket, a sleevemounted to turn thereon, a pin mounted to reciprocate radially in saidsleeve and having an inwardlyprojecting end with an oblique forward faceand a rear radial face adapted to be engaged with corresponding facesformed in the socket in said shaft, a spring pressing upon the head ofthe pin, means for adjusting the tension of the spring, and a latchspring-pressed against the side of said pin and adapted to hold the samein retracted position.

10. A decoupling attachment comprising a shaft having a socket, a sleevemounted to turn thereon, a pin mounted to reciprocate radially in saidsleeve and having an inwardlyprojecting end with an oblique forward faceand a rear radial face adapted to be engaged with corresponding facesformed in the socket in said shaft, a spring pressing upon the head ofthe pin, means for adjusting the tension of the spring, a latchspring-pressed against the side of the said pin and adapted to hold thesame in retracted position, and a hardened block set in a recess in theshaft in which the socket for the pin is formed, substantially asdescribed.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of twowitnesses.

LOUIS BOIVIN.

Witnesses:

FELIX BEAULE, ARTHUR MENARD.

